Obituaries

A funeral service for Gretchen Idell Hausmann was held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, October 1, 2026, at Fairfax City Hall, in Fairfax, South Dakota, with Fr. Ron Garry officiating.

A funeral service for Sylvia (Moe) (Base) Mikkelsen, age 98, formerly of Gregory, was held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, September 24, 2026 at Union Congregational Church in Gregory, South Dakota, with Pastor Alex Bendig officiating. Music was provided by Jeanie Kotrba, pianist, on several congregational hymns. Interment was at Czech National Cemetery in Tyndall that afternoon. Arrangements were provided by Kotrba-Smith Funeral Home. Sylvia was born September 15, 1927, in Echo, Minnesota, to Iver and Charlesetta (Tripp) Moe. She grew up on the family farm in the White Lake, South Dakota, area and graduated from White Lake High School. She then moved to Tyndall, South Dakota, to teach.

Memorial services for Bruce Menkens, age 70, of Fairfax, SD will be held on Monday, October 5, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Legion Hall in Verdel, NE. Claussen Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. Bruce was born on November 22, 1955, to George and Laverne (Klinetobe) Menkens. He was raised in Butte, NE, where he attended school before attending high school at Boys Town in Omaha, NE. Bruce married Ellen Emme in 1974, and together they welcomed their son, Christopher Allen, on April 8, 1975.

A funeral Mass for Anita (Brotsky) Saathoff, age 87, formerly of Gregory, was held September 25, 2026, at Incarnation Catholic Church in Orlando, Florida. She was interred at Queen of Angels Cemetery in Winter Park, Florida. Woodlawn Funeral Home and Memorial Park handled the arrangements. Anita Marie Saathoff was born to Ben and Anna Brotsky on August 20, 1939, in the small town of Gregory, South Dakota. Anita was Ben and Anna’s only child. Her childhood was a rather ordinary one — a generally stable and loving home life, joyful outings with relatives and friends, learning how to play the piano and organ, attending the local Catholic elementary school and high school, etc. — but, without a doubt, the most important aspect of Anita’s upbringing was the fact that she was baptized and raised as a Catholic. Both of Anita’s parents were practicing Catholics and, as such, they made sure to take Anita to Holy Mass on Sundays, Holy Days of Obligation and even daily Mass. Anita said that she was especially impacted by the witness of her mother’s personal piety and devotion, and by how seriously her mother took her (Anita’s) faith formation. To illustrate this point, Anita would often tell the story of how she tied for first place in a school-wide competition in which students had to correctly answer questions from the Baltimore Catechism by memory.

Terry Lee Springer was born on June 2, 1952, to Verlyn and Marie Springer in Gregory, South Dakota. He joined his two-year-old sister on the family farm great-great-Uncle Hans Springer homesteaded in 1905. Five years later brother Wayne joined the family.

Clarice Deal passed away peacefully under hospice care at her home in rural Tyndall, South Dakota, on September 25, 2026. Private family services will be held at a later date. Goglin Funeral Homes is handling the arrangements. Clarice A. Deal was born April 22, 1939, on the family farm north of Wagner to Harry and Annabelle Cowin Crisman. She attended grade school in Kennedy and Lawrence Townships and graduated from Wagner High School. On April 20, 1958, she married Gareth J. Deal. One son was born to this union. Garry preceded her in death on October 16, 1966, after serving in Vietnam with the United States Army as an operating room technician. On June 29, 1969, she married Norman L. Deal, bringing one son and two daughters into her life.

A funeral service for Christie Stoops, age 63, will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, September 25, 2026, at United Methodist Church in Lavern, Minnesota. Heritage Funeral Home of Sioux Falls is incharage of arrangements. Christie Marie Stoops was born in Gregory, South Dakota, to Francis and Rhea Jean Shanahan on September 16, 1963. Christie was brought up on a farm southwest of Dallas, South Dakota. She first attended country school and later Colome School District, graduating in May 1981. After high school Christie went to Sinte Gleska University in Mission. She studied Early Child Development. After she graduated she moved to Sioux Falls, where she worked at a few different daycares. She loved being with children.

A memorial service was held for Julene Lupkes, age 74, of Winner, South Dakota on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at the Kotrba-Smith Funeral Home in Gregory, South Dakota. Interment was at Colome City Cemetery.

Dorothy Lou (Pochop) Uecker, 94, of Rancho Cordova, California, passed away in her home on September 9, 2026. She was born on April 29, 1932, in Gregory, SD, and was one of eight children. Growing up, she worked alongside her father, Louie, and her siblings in the family store. As a teen, she enjoyed attending dances in neighboring towns with her siblings and friends. In 1950, Dorothy graduated from Gregory High School. She then attended and graduated from Methodist State Hospital School of Nursing on Sept 8, 1953. After graduating, she worked as a registered nurse (RN) in the Intensive Care and Coronary Care Units (ICU and CCU) until her retirement at age 62.

Kay Elizabeth Fischer, age 91, of Naper, Nebraska, died September 3, 2026, at the Parkside Manor Nursing Home in Stuart, Nebraska. Private services will be held. Clausen Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.